


The Delicate Skin of a Rose

by winterlollipop



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Boundaries, Consent is Sexy, M/M, No Touchy, Respect them, Touchphobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:07:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28805562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterlollipop/pseuds/winterlollipop
Summary: So easily ripped, the skin of a rose. Take care, for the rose remembers even the smallest injury.Brock Rumlow does not like being touched. That’s it. Period. Not that hard a concept.Except, it is. Noisy, touchy people are everyone, and they don’t understand why Brock won’t let them touch him.Enter, Jack Rollins.
Relationships: Brock Rumlow/Original Male Character(s), Jack Rollins/Brock Rumlow
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [winter_angst](https://archiveofourown.org/users/winter_angst/gifts), [Kalika999 (kalika_999)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalika_999/gifts).



Brock didn’t like to be touched. It wasn’t a germ thing. It wasn’t “I’m gay and don’t want to do PDA,” thing either. It was an ‘I don’t want to be touched’ thing. 

He’d like to say ‘most’ of his partners didn’t understand, but that would mean that some did. 

They didn’t. 

They would start off with “That’s fine.” or “I understand,” and sometimes even a “I don’t mind.” 

They would respect the boundaries for a week, maybe a month, then slowly, so slowly, start to push against the boundaries. 

He was riding the bus with Marco, heading home from walking by the beach with him. Marco laid his hand palm up on his left leg, an obvious sign he wanted Brock to hold his hand. 

Brock pulled out his phone and started playing Bloons, to keep both hands occupied. 

Whenever they’d be seated together, at a movie, lunch, the bus, at home, Marco would lay his hand there, and not move it. For the first week, he was quiet, just the hand there. 

Second week, Brock started to note small annoyed exhales. To try and appease Marco, he leaned against him, head on his shoulder. 

It worked. For a bit. 

They broke up when Marco said he was back with his ex. 

Felix liked to get small kisses in public, which Brock hated with a passion. They made his stomach turn, but he stayed quiet, letting Felix kiss him simply. 

Once Felix realized he didn’t want to make out, or do anything more, he started getting annoyed. Brock called that one off, not wanting Felix to do anything stupid. 

Enrique lasted the longest, he didn’t like PDA as well. No hand holding, kissing, that stuff in public. 

He tired of waiting to get laid, and Brock was sick of his parents interfering and controlling his every move. They agreed to a mutual break up, and Brock was happier anyway. 

Brock had put finding an understanding partner to the back burner while he worked for SHIELD. Sometimes, he couldn’t even stand people putting a hand on his arm, so finding a partner that could deal with his issue would be hard. 

Then, came Jack Rollins. A half-Polish half-Australian man that sounded nothing like the Crocodile Hunter. Sometimes, he could barely tell Jack had an accent markedly different from the rest of them. 

Jack was a lion stalking its prey, quiet and reserved, but always watching, ready to strike at the best moment. 

Jack never pushed boundaries. 

Jack never touched anyone without permission or expectation, even to pat them on the shoulder. 

Jack was always watching, observing, noting, so it came as no surprise that Jack became Brock’s 2IC during missions. 

Brock could tell Jack what to do, and Jack would do it, knowing that Brock’s plan was similar to his own. They meshed together perfectly, barely even having to exchange words to get their points across. 

It was the most arousing thing Brock had ever been around. His head swam with attraction whenever Jack was around. 

Brock didn’t have to be on such high alert with Jack around. Jack wouldn’t touch him without a damn good reason, and didn’t fill the air with unnecessary chatter that grated against Brock’s ears. 

They fell into a post-mission routine of:

1\. Shower in locker room, Brock was stall 1, Jack was stall 3.  
2\. Get changed in silence  
3\. Ensure security of locker room by doing a sweep for bugs of both kinds  
4\. Walk to Brock’s car (Jack took the bus in most days)  
5\. Brock would drive Jack home, both of them discussing the ‘weird shit’ that had happened that day, or listening to the radio  
6\. Depending on how mission went, how they were feeling, they’d talk in Brock’s car or in front of Jack’s townhouse.  
7\. Brock would drive home, texting Jack when he arrived. 

It was a routine Brock found he greatly enjoyed. 

He was even tempted to go for more. To ask Jack if he wanted to have a cup of coffee together. 

He could see himself laying on a couch next to Jack, cuddled up together in a giant blanket, their feet tangled together, toasty and warm. 

He might even let Jack touch him. Run his fingers down his arm, up his stomach, down his legs. 

He hoped it would mean as much to Jack as it did to him


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is so charming, so disarming, Brock starts to open up

No Touchy pt 2

Where did Brock’s touch phobia, Haphephobia, come from? 

He wasn’t sure. 

It could be from the way his old man treated his mom. He never hit her in the traditional sense, only had a ‘firm grip’ to ‘make sure she understood’. 

It could be from his high school science class, learning about the transfer of bacteria and viruses from one person to another. That had caused some eating issues that he had to see a child psychologist for. 

It could be from when he learned about ways people could be poisoned through contact. Poison ring, poison umbrella, sticky explosive, something that caused someone to be injured. 

Where his Haphephobia came from didn’t matter. 

He referred to it as a phobia, but it wasn’t that extreme. If there was previously established consent and reason, he didn’t mind. 

He was told it was a phobia because it lasted longer than six months, produced a fear/panic response nearly every time, and impacted his work/relationships. 

It only impacted his work sometimes. 

He always preferred missions that took him to colder locales, where he had to wear more layers. 

That was another reason Jack was assigned to his team. He also preferred the colder locales for missions. 

They were both called insane for preferring Moscow to Havana, Amsterdam to Miami. Canada to Mexico. 

Brock was infinitely grateful for Jack not bitching about the cold while on missions. 

Add that to the listen of things Brock was grateful about with Jack. 

Brock did want to have coffee with Jack. Grab a cup down by the water, walk along the edge, enjoying each other’s company. Maybe talk about things, maybe not. 

The thing stopping him was if he showed his interest in Jack, would he start to want to get physical? As much as Brock felt he would let Jack touch him, he couldn’t risk Jack slowly becoming impatient with him. 

That’s where their relationship stayed. 

Until Jack told Brock to stop at a coffee place on the drive home to get food and drink, then directed Brock to a nature path where they could walk. 

It wasn’t until they had got back to Brock’s car after the long walk that Jack had asked him out on a date, and that was what they just did. 

They had got coffee and walked along the water, a small creek along a forest nature path, talking about little things. They were both wrapped up in their coats, hats, boots, and mitts required of a chilly February 

Brock enjoyed it more than he thought he would. Normally he liked to wander along the creek by himself, but it was nice having a companion. 

Slowly, Jack started introducing different nature paths for them to walk along. They both got reusable coffee cups, getting their coffee from the same place, around the same time. 

It became their routine. 

Instead of Brock dropping Jack off right away, they would get coffee, then go to a nature path for a walk. 

It wasn’t hard walking beside Jack. He was quiet, calm, wasn’t a yeller, but also wasn’t a whisperer. 

After the walk, Brock would drive Jack home, then go back to his place. 

Brock enjoyed this change.

He enjoyed it so much, when Jack asked him if he wanted to come in for a cup of coffee, Brock readily said, “Yes,”


	3. Coffee Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quiet chat about the carnage in Sokovia. As we all know, bonding over tragic events is just how it is.

Quiet conversation around a solid maple table, coffee cups placed on custom marble coasters. 

“How long have you been with SHIELD?”

“About ten years, I joined after serving in the US Army since I was nineteen. You?”

“Five years. Was in Capitol security for five, did a stint as clean up in Sokovia,”

“I had to get statements from the Avengers about what happened.” Brock shook his head, “D’you know what the body count was?”

“Mmm,” Jack rubbed his chin, “There were different categories for that. Those who died on the ground, those who died at the hands of the.... thing, those who died from injuries. I don’t have a number, but it was definitely more than people think.”

The conversation flowed on for a few more hours, only stopped by bathroom breaks and more coffee. 

Brock stood by the front door, looking up at Jack standing by, not too close, but not too far. He wondered if Jack did that on purpose. 

“You’re something else,” Brock said as he grabbed his keys off his belt. 

“I was thinking the same about you. I’ll see you tomorrow?” 

Brock nodded, “Of course.” He started to open the door, then stopped and turned his head to look at Jack. 

“Thank you,” then left, holding up his keys to unlock his car and head home. 

“Anything for you,” Jack said quietly as he watched Brock get into his car and back out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m thinking Brock would have been a Lieutenant Colonel

**Author's Note:**

> more to come! 
> 
> Probably.


End file.
